By Christian Njoku
Connected Development (CODE), with support from Oxfam has strengthened its Power of Voices Partnership Project by expanding civic clubs to four schools in Cross River to groom students into future leaders.
At a civic engagement held at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Demonstration Secondary School, Calabar, on Friday, students showcased how the civic clubs were shaping them into active citizens and future leaders.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the students who were from NYSC Demonstration Secondary School, West African Peoples Institute (WAPI), Government Girls Secondary School, Big Qua Town carried out panel conversations.
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They also made presentations on corruption, transparency, and accountability.
Mr Kingsley Agu, CODE’s Director for Programs, said the initiative went beyond academics by teaching students integrity, leadership, and accountability, adding that the civic clubs currently existed in six Nigerian states including Cross River.
According to him, while most states have three schools each, Cross River and Delta stand out with four schools each, making the total number of active civic clubs 20 nationwide.
Agu disclosed plans to expand the clubs across more schools in Cross River, including rural communities, with support from the state’s Ministry of Education to ensure wider student participation.
“This project goes beyond classroom learning, it is about raising active citizens who can hold leaders accountable, protect the environment, and champion integrity.
“20 civic clubs have been established in secondary schools across Akwa Ibom, Imo, Rivers, Delta, Cross River, and the FCT, enrolling more than 400 students as civic champions and Cross River is one of the leading states with four schools, one more than the average in other states,” he said.
On its part, the National Orientation Agency, represented by Mr Nsa Eniang, commended the initiative, describing it as a strong complement to its ongoing nationwide awareness campaign on social vices among secondary and tertiary students.
Eniang said the clubs, aligned with the Federal Ministry of Education’s new curriculum targeted at raising students who would embrace honesty, accountability, and patriotism in preparation to become responsible citizens.
Similarly, Dr. Evelyn Eyong, Special Assistant to Odukpani Local Government on NGOs, confirmed that civic clubs will soon be launched in schools across her council area to reduce corruption among children.
“We must catch them young, so corruption and related offenses can be drastically reduced in our society,” she stated.
Mr Etim Essien, Principal of NYSC Demonstration Secondary School asserted that what the students were being taught in the Civic Clubs are things that will help them both today and in the future to be better than their contemporaries.
He charged the student to know that they had the right to complain, criticize constructively and not just take everything they were told “hook line and sinker.”
NAN also reports that the highpoint of the event was the launch of a recycling point established by the Civic Club in the NYSC Demonstration Secondary School while the Civic Club’s in the other schools were assisted with implements to set up flower gardens in their schools.
